It’s comical in a pathetic sort of way how the critics of the tush push keep moving the goalposts. First, it was supposedly a “safety issue.” But there was zero data to support that trumped up theory. Ok well how about this – “Well, it’s not visiually stimulating.” Really? Neither is a 3-yard run up the middle but it’s been part of football since the jurassic age. Now Dean Blandino is drifting out of his lane saying “I’m done with the Tush Push” on last week’s broadcast when asked about a potential illegal procedure penalty on the Eagles that wasn’t called. Blandino, speaking outside the scope of his job description said he thought the play should be banned because it’s “too hard to officiate.” That might be the most idiotic excuse yet. The play has been around since the 2021 season and all of the sudden because a couple of Eagles may have jumped the gun on a snap in the fourth quarter of a random regular season game the play should be banned because it’s “too hard to officiate.”? Let me repeat – that might be the most idiotic excuse yet. Is it harder to regulate than offensive holding which happens on every play? If the refs can’t figure out offsides or false starts on a play that unfolds right in front of them, then the problem isn’t the play – it’s the officials and none of that even touches the actual push part of the sneak.
The Basics: Rams at Eagles
- Who: Eagles (2-0, 1-0 Home) vs. Rams (2-0, 1-0 Away)
- When: Sunday 1:00 p.m. ET
- Where: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA.
- TV: FOX
- Betting: Eagles -3.5 ; Total: 44.5
- Money Line: Eagles: -185, Rams: +155
The truth is, all of this hand-wringing has nothing to do with safety, style, or officiating. The real reason the league and others want to kill the tush push is simple – jealousy. No one can stop it. The Eagles have mastered it, no one else can replicate it, and it drives their opponents and onlookers crazy. The haters hate that Philly executes it better, they hate that it helps Philly win games and subsequent championships, and they know that even if the league bans it tomorrow, the Eagles will still be better at it because their players, their coaches, and their execution are just on another level. No rule change can fix that.
Back In The Spotlight
All week the “Tush Push” was back in the spotlight and once again the football world couldn’t stop talking about it. The Philadelphia Eagles rolled into Arrowhead last Sunday and leaned on their signature short-yardage weapon six times in a win over the defending AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs. Within hours, it wasn’t just a Philly conversation, it was the national conversation. The Birds have a date with the L.A. Rams today and most of the hype leading up to the game has been about the Eagles‘ signiature short yardage controversial play.
Social media exploded. Talk shows dissected it. Even the NFL office got involved, instructing referees to tighten up how the play is officiated after acknowledging Philadelphia should have been flagged for a false start on a tush push that resulted in a fourth quarter touchdown. Suddenly, everyone assumed the polarizing play’s days were numbered. Surely the league will finally outlaw it this offseason, right?
Well, as Lee Corso might say, “Not so fast my friends.”
No Guarantee of a Ban Proposal
Despite the noise, league sources told ESPN there’s no assurance the Tush Push will even be on the table for a vote this offseason. The issue stirred up so much emotion last spring that some insiders believe it needs to be “tabled for a year” before anyone dares revisit it.
The good news for the Eagles, perhaps, is that the man who wrote the original proposal to outlaw the play, former Packers president Mark Murphy, retired in July. Without him spearheading a fresh motion, there’s no clear path for a ban. Last time, the push to end the push fell just short, with 22 votes when 24 of 32 were required. A new proposal would need a new champion, and right now, there isn’t one. However, it was discovered that the NFL, in all their “credibility”, asked the Packers president to spearhead the ban proposal, so as to give the appearrance that the NFL is a neutral party to it, instead of what they actually are – corrupt, fraudulent and cowardly as the day is long.
Why It Keeps Surviving
The Tush Push is controversial because it’s both unstoppable and uniquely Eagles. Since 2022, Philly has converted the play at an absurd 96.6% clip on fourth-and-1. Critics cry foul, labeling it a dangerous “rugby scrum.” Supporters call it innovation.
But the truth is the injury data doesn’t back up claims that it’s unsafe. That makes it hard for the league to hide behind player safety as justification for pulling the plug. Unless a team crafts a compelling argument and rallies 24 owners, the play survives.
Eagles Double Down
The criticism hasn’t fazed Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni’s locker room. Left tackle Jordan Mailata scoffed at detractors, saying opponents are “using it as an excuse for why we won the game.” Center Cam Jurgens echoed that defiance, “We’re trying to worry about what we’re doing in here. If the league wants to come down and make an emphasis, we’ll take it into account. But it’s the same thing going forward – playing Eagle football.”
Jason Kelce, now retired but still the play’s most passionate advocate, admitted he believes its days are numbered, “I think the play is done,” he told WIP this past week but even the future hall of famer acknowledged the Eagles will adjust and continue dominating the short yardage play.
The Real Reason The Tush Push Looked R.I.P. After Win Over Chiefs
Overkill, plain and simple. I love the play and even I felt it was a little cringey how many times the Birds implemented it in the second half of last Sunday’s win over the Chiefs. They did six Tush Pushes and converted four of them last Sunday. Sports Talk icon Colin Cowherd said it best in this podcast mini regarding why the NFL would like nothing more than to see the Tush Push disappear and why it most likely will sometime in the near future – “They’re using it too much.
So What’s Next?
So, will the NFL ban the Tush Push? Eventually perhaps, but anyone expecting it to disappear overnight is ignoring the politics at play. There’s no active movement to kill it this season, and without a clear coalition forming behind a new proposal, it’s far from a foregone conclusion.
For now, it’s alive, it’s legal, and it’s still the most unstoppable play in football and until the NFL finds the willpower and the votes to end it, the Tush Push remains the Eagles’ not-so-secret ultimate weapon.
As an aside the zebras have flagged the Eagles and their opponents quite often in the last four years for illegal procedure and offsides on the defense. For this to be a perceived new issue and cause for a ban proposal is egregiously ridiculous and completley innaccurate. If the NFL was any more transparent they’d be a basement office in the Pentagon. The league continues to keep chipping away with reasons to ban the play with their insidious attempts to throw anything that will stick, all the while continuing to embarrass themselves in the process.
Speaking of the Rams, in last year’s divisional playoff game the Eagles were a half a foot from putting the game out of reach in the fourth quarter but right tackle Lane Johnson was flagged for illegal procedure on a tush push and the Birds had to settle for a field goal and subsequently came dangerously close to losing the game because of it. Pre-snap penalties on the tush push are not a new thing.
Prediction: Eagles 31, Rams 24
Don’t Stress Out Eagles Fans; Why The Tush Push Isn’t Dead Yet Despite Pathetic Attempt By The NFL